Process of making ketones.



PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

H. S. BLACKMORE.

PROCESS OF MAKING KETONES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1901.

v Id 41+ d L HENRY SPENCER BLACKMORE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF MAKING KETONES Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Original application filed July 2'7, 1900, Serial No. 25,037. Divided and this application filed May 9, 1901. Serial No. 59,421.

T0 (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,HENRY SPENCER BLACK- MORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at 206 South Ninth avenue, Mount'Vernon, in the county of IVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Ketones and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to produce ketones-such as acetone, benzo-phenone, &c.synthetically; and it consists in exposing acids to the action of hydrocarbon in a heated condition, a division from Serial No. 25,037, filed July 27,1900.

My invention relates particularly to the production of acetone (dimethyhketone) by action of methane (CH on acetic acid (0 H, 0 in heated condition, but is not limited to the same, as many other ketones, simple or complex, may be produced by substituting other hydrocarbons for methane (CH,) and other acids for acetic hereinbefore mentioned.

In carrying out my invention for the production of acetone I proceed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of ap paratus which I employ for the purpose.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my appara tus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section showing the electric diaphragms and the connections of the transformingchamber, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionof one of the rings and electric connection of the transformingchamber and an electric gauze. diaphragm connected therewith.

Similar letters refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

The letter A designates a transformingchambers of cylindrical or other form, provided at its top with an elbow B and pipe C, the latter connected with a jacketed condenser D in any desired air-tight manner. The lower end of the transforming-chamber A is provided with a detachable head E, having a central stuffing-box or screw-threaded plug F, of insulating material, connected therewith, and in which is fitted a rod or electric connection G, the upper portion of which is formed in sections having screw threaded connections, as shown at a a a in Fig. 2.

The transforming-chamber A, like the electric connection G, is partly composed of sections, as shown at b b I), (see Figs. 1 and 2,) the said sections being oined together by the threaded ends 0 c c.

A series of metallic gauze diaphragms d are arranged within the transformingchamber A, the said diaphragms being securely held in relative positions by the abutting shoulders of the screw-threaded ends of the transforming-chamber rings and of the central connection thereof. The upper and lower diaphragms d and d are arranged in several thicknesses, forming a heat-absorber and flash-preventer, and insulated from the elec tric connection G, as shown at e e, for the purposes hereinafter fully described.

Peep-holes f f, having mica fronts or covers h h, are located at the opposite sides of the combustion or transforming compartments A to enable the attendant to view the interior thereof and. provide for regulating the apparatus as occasion may require.

The letters 'i and i and i designate electric wires, which are respectively connected 7 with the electric conductor G and the walls of the transforming-chamber A by' ordinary means.

The lower part of the transforming-chamber is provided horizontally with a pipe-sea tion H, having a detachable end or head it, within which is tightly fitted a tube Z, the latter provided with a T-head Z and an inletpipe m, while within the stem of the T-head and the tube Z, is arranged a pipe nfor the purposes hereinafter fully specified.

In the operation of my invention for the production of acetone I take acetic acid and vaporize it by means of heat or a current of heated gas and convey it into the transforming apparatus described through the pipe n. I then introduce methane (CH through the pipe m, regulating it to about equivalent proportions for transforming the acetic acid into acetone, as hereinafter set forth. As the acetic-acid vapor and methane enter the apparatus they become thoroughly mixed in the lower part of the chamber A and then pass up through the insulated gauze flashpreventer (1 into the transforming-compartment A. A current of electricity is then passed through the connections 'i i i, the same passing through the diaphragms d d, heating them in proportion to the strength of the current either low or to whiteness, the temperature being somewhat gaged by the color of the diaphragm, which can be observed through the mica-closed peep-holes ff, the diaphragms being maintained at a bright-red heat for making acetone. This does not, however, represent the temperature of the reacting ingredients or gases as a mass, as the gaseous bodies are non-conductors of heat, and hence are heated only by diffusion and circulation. As the mixture of aceticacid vapor and methane comes in contact with the heated gauze diaphragms a reaction takes place, which may be illustrated by the following chemical formula or equation:

The current of vapor and gas introduced passing rapidly through the apparatus carries the product of reaction quickly through and away from the heated gauze diaphragms and through the fiash-preventer d, which consists of a number of layers of gauze, insulated as before described, from the central conductor and which also acts as a strainer or absorbent of the excess of heat and conveysit away, thus preventing the temperature from rising above dissociating point of the acetone produced, the average temperature of the reaction being maintained preferably below 360 Fahrenheit by the abstraction of heat liberated during transformation, the acetone being finally condensed in water-j acketed condenser D.

It will be observed that the transformingcompartment A, in which the electricallyheated diaphragms are located, is protected at the inlet and outlet portions with heavy insulated gauze-sections, which prevents the ignited mixture of gases in said compartment from conveying the flash outside of the compartment and admits of controlling the temperature and product by rapidity of admission of gases thereto during transformation, the electric diaphragms d (i being maintained at a uniform temperature.

I can produce other ketones by employing other carbon-compound acids, such as aliphatic or aromatic acids or a mixture of acids to produce complex ketones, the acid either being vaporized directly or conveyed to the transforming apparatus in vaporous form by means of heated gases, and I can also employ other hydrocarbons to produce any combination desired without departing from the spirit of my invention, which consists in transforming aliphatic, aromatic, or other acids of organic type produced synthetically or otherwise by the action of hydrocarbons and heat.

It can be readily seen that the heated'diaphragms (1 cl intransforming-compartment A serve to ignite the mixture of vaporous or gaseous acid and hydrocarbon as it comes in contact therewith and the excess of heat either absorbed therefrom or liberated by reaction is carried away from the heated diaphragms by the rapid-flowing gases or vapors admitted and the heat-absorbing gauze diaphragms d, the heated diaphragrns serving to ignite acid and hydrocarbon introduced, and the heat is abstracted so fast that the temperature is reduced below igniting-point.

The term carbon acid employedin this specification and claims is intended to imply acids of the organic type either produced synthetically or otherwise and relates to acids formerly known as organic acids before the development of the chemistry of the carbon compounds.

It is well known that when hydrogen unites with oxygen considerable heat is liberated, which heat if unrestrained would accumulate to an enormous degree within a reactingchamber, and therefore if the oxidation of a hydrocarbon enters into the formation of organic compounds, such as ketones, the heat thus liberated if allowed to accumulate would soon reach a point where the dissociation of the ketone desired would take place, thereby terminating the process of formation. Hence I have discovered that if this excess of heat liberated is abstracted during the oxidation the process may be carried on continuously and the dissociation of the product prevented.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of producing ketones which consists in exposing carbon acid in avolatile or gaseous state to the action of hydrocarbon and heat. v

2. The process of producing ketones which consists in performing a reaction between a carbon acid and hydrocarbon at a temperature below the dissociating point of the ketone produced.

3. The process of producing ketones which consists in-conveying a carbon acid and hydrocarbon in contact with a heated surface and collecting and condensing the product.

4. The process of producing ketones which consists in performing a reaction between a carbon acid and a hydrocarbon and removing excess of heat during transformation.

5. The process of producing ketones which consists in inducing a reaction between a carbon acid and hydrocarbon and abstracting the excess heat therefrom thus preventing elevation of temperature above the dissociating-point of the product desired.

6. The process of producing acetone which consists in exposing acetic acid to the action of methane and heat.

7. The process of making ketones which consists in oxidizing hydrocarbon by the action of a carbon acid while maintaining the temperature below the dissociating point of the ketone by refrigeration.

8. The process of making ketones which consists in heating a composition containing a carbon acid and hydrocarbon until the hydrocarbon becomes oxidized and abstracting the excess of heat evolved during reaction by refrigeration 9. The process of making ketones which consists in heating a composition containing a carbon acid and hydrocarbon to a temperature at which a part of the oxygen content of the acid has an afiinity for the hydrogen of the hydrocarbon to the exclusion of carbon and maintaining the reaction while regulating the temperature by refrigeration.

10. The process of makingketones, which consists in exposing a substance capable of yielding a carbon oXy-acid anhydrid by the action of heat, to the action of hydrocarbon 2c and heat.

11. The process of making ketones, which consists in exposing a substance capable of yielding carbonic anhydrid (CO by the action if heat, to the action of hydrocarbon and 25 eat.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY SPENCER BLACKMORE. .Witnesses:

WARREN C. STONE, H. N. JENKINS. 

